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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27134218">Untitled #4</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/rookhunt/pseuds/rookhunt'>rookhunt</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Twisted-Wonderland (Video Game)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Other, the rookvil is very slight so if youre going to read it for that dont</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 20:08:37</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,998</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27134218</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/rookhunt/pseuds/rookhunt</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Epel finds a stray kitten in the rain and takes it to the dorms.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Rook Hunt/Vil Schoenheit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>48</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Untitled #4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Ugh, it really had to rain on the evening I was stuck at school?!” Epel lets out a few curses under his breath.</p>
<p>Luck hasn’t been on his side all day. First, he was late to breakfast. Then, when he was running to make it to Crewel’s class on time, Vil stopped him and lectured him on not running so carelessly – which in turn, surprise surprise, made him late to his potions class. As if that wasn’t enough, he put something he shouldn’t have put into the potion they were brewing, which ended up with both him and Jack being painted in pink – which wouldn’t come off properly by the way, till Sebek suggested they try a solution he knows can be used on skin to remove such stains. He had to attend all of his classes with a pink face and pink hands, obviously attracting the Savanaclaw students to try to bully him in flying class, then spend two hours making the solution at the end of his classes. And now? Rain started to pour right after Epel left the library searching for a book on magic history, and of course, he didn’t have his umbrella with him.</p>
<p>All in all, it wasn’t Epel’s day.</p>
<p>He looks around to see if there’s anyone who could share their umbrella with him till they reach the mirror chamber, but as if the universe has decided to curse him with all the karma for the things he says under his breath in one go, there’s not a single soul around to be seen. He shifts his backpack to his front, hunching over it to keep it and its contents as dry as possible as he starts dashing through the rain.</p>
<p>He half expects to trip on his feet and fall, his backpack magically opening and letting all the books he should protect into the clammy hands of the rain, but for some reason he makes it to the mirror chamber without a scratch.</p>
<p>He shakes his hair and takes a few breaths. Then he hears a sound.</p>
<p>A meek, small sound.</p>
<p>A meow.</p>
<p>His eyes widen comically as he searches for the source of the sound. It’s an instinct, really, to want to help a cat that’s probably stuck somewhere in the rain, after having spent all his life feeding and befriending the village’s cats.</p>
<p>He sees its wet tail near the entrance of the chamber, half hidden behind a column. The cat shows it head, looking at Epel in curiosity. Epel slowly makes its way to the cat, the kitten, and reaches his hand out. “Hi there, little buddy.”</p>
<p>The kitten sniffs around his fingers, looking at him once in a while almost calculatingly, then decides Epel is not a threat and pushes its head under Epel’s palm. Epel laughs and starts petting the cat.</p>
<p>Then he hears the sound of one of the mirrors being warped to. He quickly repositions his backpack onto his back and hides the kitten in his jacket. Pets are not allowed on the campus, what if the people coming are not keen on cats?</p>
<p>The kitten confusedly watches around from the opening of Epel’s jacket as Epel runs through the Pomefiore mirror.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>He runs through the gate to the doors of the dorm, then realises he has yet to get over the worst of it. His roommate wouldn’t mind the cat for sure, but what about the countless Pomefiore students in the way, the ones who wouldn’t wait one second before running to Vil when they have something to snitch on? He wishes once again he was one of those that didn’t “need” Vil’s help.</p>
<p>Before going in through the doors, he places the kitten on top of his books with some tissues in between in his backpack and shushes it hoping it to stay quiet till he makes it to his room. He leaves a gap between the zippers and wears the backpack once again. He takes a deep breath and steps in.</p>
<p>Going through the lobby is easier than he thought it would be – the students that would normally try to befriend him are now only greeting him and letting him pass, probably because they know he needs to get to the showers quickly.</p>
<p>He steps into the hallways and lets out the breath he was holding, if the kitten ever meowed, it was drowned out by the noise in the lobby. Now he assumes there will be less students till he reaches his room that’s already on the ground floor.</p>
<p>Then he feels the presence of a certain vice leader beside him.</p>
<p>“Bonjour, Epel! How are you?” Rook asks wearing his usual smile. Without seeing his eyes, Epel can’t tell if he knows what Epel is hiding. Maybe… the rain covers the kitten’s smell?</p>
<p>“Umm… I’m good. I need to get to the showers quickly… Kind of.” He says as normally as possible hoping Rook will leave him alone.</p>
<p>Rook’s small smile doesn’t falter, only he opens his eyes. <em>Oh fuck. Of course, </em>Epel thinks. “And what are you going to do about the cat?”</p>
<p>Epel gulps. “What do you mean..” but before he can finish his sentence, a meow cuts through his voice.</p>
<p>…</p>
<p>“Umm… I will wash it too? Maybe?” All Epel can do is try to appeal to his favourite man of the dorm, who he knows is an animal lover too. But the problem is… he’s a Vil lover too. Something like that.</p>
<p>Rook chuckles. “Monsieur Himeringo, are you not aware of the dorm’s rules regarding pets?”</p>
<p>“… But!” Epel rushes to take the kitten out of his backpack and shoves it towards Rook’s face. “Look at it! Was I supposed to leave it in the rain?”</p>
<p>Rook is taken aback by the kitten centimetres away from his face. “Oh. … Hi there.” Rook starts petting the cat and the cat immediately starts purring.</p>
<p>How did it have to make sure Epel is harmless, but fell in love with Rook at first sight?!</p>
<p>Epel lets out a sigh still, there’s a chance Rook’s heart has been swayed by the <em>cute beauty that is la chatte </em>or something.</p>
<p>Rook makes eye contact with him as the kitten licks his gloves. Epel doesn’t back down and holds the kitten higher to make Rook look into those helpless eyes.</p>
<p>… Rook sighs. “You win, little mouse. You can keep it till the rain dies down. But tomorrow, we have to take it to the village outside of the campus. That’s where it must have come from.”</p>
<p>“Okay! Thanks, Rook-san!” and Epel is running down the hallway again despite Rook calling for him not to, till he gets into the safety of his room.</p>
<hr/>
<p>But Pomefiore is not the dorm known for their carefully crafted plans. Epel is not destined to be a great mastermind that oversees every detail of a plan before taking action.</p>
<p>And Epel forgot that this kitten needs feeding.</p>
<p>His roommate accepted to stay silent as long as Epel doesn’t bring in trouble – but oh here it is, trouble in the shape of a kitten trying to communicate its hunger.</p>
<p>Epel has no chance but to leave the kitten hoping it will stay silent while he goes to dinner and tries to sneak out some meat or something – is the kitten even old enough for that? Oh god. None of the kittens in his village were left alone by their parents this young.</p>
<p>As he approaches the dining hall, an uneasy feeling settles into his stomach. He needs to be quick, and he needs to not see Vil. The sight of the overpacked dining hall gets closer with each step and without a second to think it over, Epel takes a left turn towards the kitchen instead. Vil must be at the dinner, which should leave him enough time to find some milk and some meat, right?</p>
<p>Epel tries to look as innocent as possible as he fools around with apples till the kitchen is completely empty, those who are on different diets done with their dinners. He quickly grabs some of the “extremely healthy” ham and fills a wide cup of almond milk.</p>
<p>…</p>
<p>Will the cat be able to drink this?! Why’s there no normal milk?!</p>
<p>Epel feels like crying, kind of. He never knew being a father was this stressful, even one meal is too much work when you have weird ass restrictions on what goes into the dormitory’s kitchen. He hides the plate of ham as best as he can under his sleeves, and tries to make his way out of the kitchen.</p>
<p>Till he hears the clicking of a certain 13-centimetre pair of heels.</p>
<p>………</p>
<p>He was cursed. Epel was cursed. That’s the only explanation.</p>
<p>Vil enters the kitchen with a scowl. <em>Fuck. </em>The lines between his eyebrows get even deeper when his eyes lay on Epel. Epel is frozen with the glass of milk in his hand while the other is shaking, holding onto the plate as if his life depends on it. “H-hello, Vil-san…”</p>
<p>A meow makes itself heard.</p>
<p>
  <em>Fuck. Fuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuck</em>
</p>
<p>“It’s fine, Monsieur Himeringo. Roi du Poisons let our little guest stay over for the night.” Rook smiles from behind his boss—his dorm leader.</p>
<p>“You told him?!”</p>
<p>“Epel!” Vil raises his voice at Epel’s informal outburst. “Did he even need to? The cat made itself known through the whole hallway.”</p>
<p>“..Oh.” Epel’s head drops. “S-sorry Rook-san.”</p>
<p>“It’s fine,” Rook smiles as he keeps playing with the kitten licking his face. “You should know I would never betray your trust, though, little apple.”</p>
<p>“Mhm.”</p>
<p>Rook puts the cat on the counter, and somehow, Vil doesn’t bat an eyelash. Epel washed the kitten, sure, but wouldn’t Vil freak out about its paws anyway?</p>
<p>“You were planning to feed the kitten that?”</p>
<p>“…Yeah. … And this.” Epel pulls the small plate out of his sleeves.</p>
<p>Vil rolls his eyes and takes a knife to cut the ham in small pieces. Rook disappears for a second and comes back with… a feeding bottle and some whole milk.</p>
<p>“Why do you have those at ready, Rook?”</p>
<p>Rook only smiles in turn before kissing Vil’s cheek.</p>
<p>Of course, to feed whatever little animal is out there to befriend Rook when he’s out on hunts.</p>
<p>Rook fills the feeding bottle with milk before holding the kitten by its neck and helping it drink. “A kitten this small really shouldn’t be on its own.”</p>
<p>Vil takes a side eye to the kitten in question.</p>
<p>All the while, Epel watches in both disgust and shock as the married couple of the dorm work in harmony in feeding a stray animal.</p>
<p>“Um…” Epel starts once the kitten starts eating the small pieces of ham. “Will I get punished, Vil?”</p>
<p>Vil sends him a look.</p>
<p>“San.”</p>
<p>Vil rolls his eyes nonetheless. “For acting on your own? Yes. For taking in a helpless cat? No.” A sigh. “What did you think I would do to the cat if you told me, Epel?”</p>
<p>“… Kick it out? Maybe.”</p>
<p>Vil sends him even more of an unimpressed look, honestly Epel wonders just how unimpressed he can get his trained expressions to look. “Just who do you think I am, for the Evil Queen’s sake?”</p>
<p>After eating a small bit of the ham, the cat starts to get sleepy. Rook lifts the kitten in one hand. “Where will it sleep, Vil?”</p>
<p>Vil looks outside the window. The rain is continuing, it will probably be too cold all night anyway. “Keep it where you keep all the wounded animals you bring here.”</p>
<p>This time, it’s Rook’s turn to freeze and stay silent.</p>
<p><em>Hehe,</em> Epel thinks. <em>Even the husband is not exempt from getting called out.</em></p>
<p>“You. Eat something and go back to your room. You can go with Rook tomorrow morning into the town if you wake up early enough.”</p>
<p>“Y-yes.” Epel watches Vil leave.</p>
<p>Rook and Epel make eye contact, having both been scolded by the boss. The cat meows.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>What am I doing? I don't know.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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